Jon Shaw - cricket juices continue to flow

B3 Cricket | April 10, 2023

Born in Nottingham, England Jon Shaw started his cricket journey with Kimberley Institute Cricket Club in Nottinghamshire. He’s played County 2nd XI cricket in England, in regional towns in Victoria, Australia and to his own surprise at the age of 40 is playing some very good cricket for Wynnum Manly District Club in Queensland Premier Cricket. Jon Shaw is Wynnum Manly first grade player number 322

Let’s find out more about Jon’s journey in the game

What year you were born?

1980

Can you remember you first game of cricket?

My first game of cricket was for Kimberley Institute Cricket Club U10’s in 1989. I cannot remember the opponent or how many runs/wickets I got but I do remember being very proud of my new bat, a Mike Gatting Gunn & Moore Striker.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

My home club in England is Kimberley Institute Cricket Club, one of the leading clubs in Nottinghamshire Cricket. I played over 400 senior games between 1993 and 2009 and winning four Premierships (League Titles) and half a dozen cup finals.

In terms of representative cricket, I played County age group cricket for Nottinghamshire from Under 14 to Under 19’s. I captained the U19 team for three years from 16-19.

I also played County 2nd XI Cricket for Nottinghamshire and enjoyed a few years playing Minor Counties cricket with Herefordshire.

In 1998, aged 18 I came to Australia to play in Geelong. After a month or so I met a girl from Rutherglen (North/East Victoria) and ended up moving to Rutherglen to play cricket for them in the Wangaratta & District Cricket Association.

I did 3 consecutive Aussie and UK Summers playing cricket for Kimberley, Rutherglen, Notts, Herefordshire and a few other sides along the way.

(Belinda, the girl I met soon after I arrived in Australia, became my wife in 2003 and we lived in England until 2009).

When we moved back to Australia permanently in 2009 I joined Corowa Cricket Club, mainly to play with my good friend, former Carlton speedster, Rod Lane. I really enjoyed my cricket at Corowa and it was one of the highlights of my cricketing ‘career’ in Australia.

I then had one enjoyable season in the Cricket Albury Wodonga Association with St Patricks Cricket Club but having a young family and also being heavily involved in soccer meant that my enthusiasm for cricket and performances were on the wane and in 2015, aged 35 felt happy to hang up my spikes.

I was briefly tempted back to coach at Rovers United Bruck Cricket Club and although it was a fantastic club, run by great people, it was a tough season and only added to my feeling that my enjoyment for sport lay elsewhere.

In late 2018 we moved from North East Victoria to Brisbane and my son started playing Junior Cricket with Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club.

Seeing the quality of the facilities, and of course the quality of the senior players, soon got the cricket juices flowing again and it wasn’t long before I was seeking out a game with the Over 40’s team.

In an amazing 18 months, all the details of which would take far too long to document here, I found myself going from the Over 40’s to 6th Grade to 1st Grade!

Alister McDermott played a big part in encouraging me to push myself and rediscover my love for the game. So, in late 2020, aged 40 I made my District 1st Grade Debut in Australia on the back of 2 Centuries and a 50 in consecutive 2nd grade games.

In the 2021/22 season, having only just finished soccer commitments with Logan Lightning, I will again be throwing my name in the selection hat to see which grade I can find myself in.

Jon Shaw - Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club First Grade player number 322

In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?

My senior debut was for Kimberley 3rd Grade, aged 13 in 1993. I didn’t bat and bowled one unmemorable over.

At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?

I was 14 years old at the start of the 1995 season when I made my 1st Grade debut for Kimberley against Gedling Colliery. I opened the batting with club superstar, Andy Platts, against the Gedling pace attack of Gavin Johnson and Baz Bailey. I can’t remember how many runs I scored (it wasn’t many) but I remember batting for quite a while and having to duck proper bouncers for the first time. It was a huge buzz and gave me a taste of what 1st team cricket was all about.

Nottinghamshire Under 17s - 1997

What were your strengths as a player?

I guess my main strengths are that I am a competitive allrounder that wants to be involved in the game all times.

Most captains I have played under would say it is hard to get the ball out of my hand when I’m bowling.

My batting strengths now are that I try to bat for long periods and put a high price on my wicket – oddly enough for the bulk of my cricketing career I was the exact opposite, often dismissed for a flashy 20 or 30.

What was your highest score in senior cricket?

My highest score for Kimberley in the Notts Premier League was 150 v Retford. I scored 140 for Notts U19s v Leicestershire.

Kimberley Institute Cricket Club - Notts Premier League Champions 2000

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

I have taken seven 8 wicket hauls in 1st XI cricket. My best for Kimberley was 8 for 33 v Attenborough in 1997.

On Debut for Herefordshire in 2000 I took a Hat-trick in a spell of 6 for 40.

I once took 5 wickets in 5 balls in a Sunday League game for Kimberley.

Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?

Linden Joseph – West Indian fast bowler who terrorised Nottinghamshire batsman in the early 2000’s when he first played with the West Indian Cavaliers. He could generate serious pace from a relatively short run and had the right amount of ‘nasty’ to make you think he wanted to hurt you - which I’m sure he didn’t!

Ahmed Gondal – A Pakistani quick that was a pro in the Derbyshire Premier League for quite a few years. We played against him 3-4 times and he bowled a few rapid spells. One of only a handful of bowlers that I’ve seen make batsman duck and weave on the flat Kimberley pitches.

Mark Footit – Local Nottinghamshire speedster that started off at Kimberley, where his dad opened the bowling in a few Premiership teams. A nasty left armer who was bowling rapid from the age of about 8! He was a little bit hit and miss in his early years at Notts but went on to have great success at Derbyshire and Surrey and was unlucky not to play for England during his peak years.

Mark Footit

Who were the best three spinners you have played against? 

In the UK leagues we would often come across quality overseas spinners that would bowl all day on pitches that were tailor-made for them.

In terms of consistent spinners that bowled well in all conditions I would say:

Richard Stemp – Former Yorkshire and Notts spinner. A quality left arm orthodox bowler who was aggressive and had great control of flight and pace.

Josh Mangan (played with) – I was lucky enough to meet Josh in Rutherglen when he was 12 and watch him progress through the Australian system right through to state cricket. He was a great leg spin bowler with a natural eye for the game. His career was cut short by injury just as he was making a name for himself with WA.

Paul Anderton – As a young batsman coming through the Kimberley ranks this left arm spinner from Long Eaton caused me nightmares. He never seemed to bowl me a loose ball and we both knew it was a matter of time before he got me out (or I got myself out).

Josh Mangan

Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?

Paul Pollard – Polly was the best I’ve seen at pacing an innings. Over 15,000 runs in professional cricket proves his quality. He always seemed to know when to accelerate or when to dig in for a while.

Paul Johnson – Over 30,000 runs for Nottinghamshire and on his day was nearly impossible to bowl to. He once hit me for six, on the up over extra cover, from the first ball of the game.

Andrew Jackman – Good enough to score a century against the touring Australians for Guyana in the mid 80’s, ‘Jacko’ dominated local cricket in Notts and Leicester during the 90’s. Much like Paul Johnson, almost impossible to bowl to when he got going.

Paul Pollard

Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

A toss up between Andre Adams 150 off 79 balls for Kimberley versus Clifton or Paul Pollards 197 for Kimberley versus Ilkeston in the Derbyshire Cup.

I’d probably just give the nod to Polly as it was a must win Cup game and he timed his innings to perfection.

Nobody that witnesses Andre’s 150 will ever forget it though. Absolute carnage on the cricket field.

Was there any bowler in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?

Mark Footit – I just didn’t pick him up very well and, when bowling at that pace, from that angle, it was not a very nice situation to find myself in. After one particular confrontation I persuaded myself that my eyes were going. I took myself off to the optician only to be told that my eyesight was perfect and that was not my problem!

Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used?

As previously mentioned, making my 1st Grade debut at 14 was the first time I’d faced what at the time felt like genuine pace and compared to your average 13/14 year old bowlers it was a huge step up.

Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

Kimberley has two great keepers in the 90’s and 2000’s in Carl Widdowson and Martin Clark. I can’t remember them dropping more than a couple of catches.

The best gloveman I played with was Ismail Dawood at Herefordshire. His handling was so clean and he always knew what to say to the bowlers to fire them up.

Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?

Andre Adams was amazing to play with. I was too young to see Ian Botham play at his peak but I’d imagine watching Andre in the Notts Premier League was similar to watching Botham in his pomp. He was aggressive, bowled fast and hit the ball miles, all with a smile on his.

It was great to see him dominate county cricket later in his career and become a Notts legend.

John Hyde was an allrounder I had the pleasure of playing with and against for many years in the Wangaratta area. He was a captain’s dream and an ultimate team player. With Bat, ball and in the field, he was an asset and a player you would always want on your side.

Andre Adams

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

Rod Lane – I played under ‘Rocket’ at Corowa and in various Rep teams. He was tactically as astute as any captain I played under but what I liked the most was the fact he could look at the game from a bowler’s perspective. He would always look to take wickets and not just try and turn the game into a bat versus bat contest.

Corowa Cricket Club 2009-10

Who has been your funniest team mate?

Brett Scothern was a constant source of hilarity at Kimberley (as well as quality runs). Everyone that played with Brett for long enough has their own favourite story. Mine was when he refused to admit it was his phone that was ringing even though he had it in his hand, and it was ringing! (You had to be there)

What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?

I was almost run out for a diamond duck on my 1st Grade debut for Wynnum Manly last season. That would have been very embarrassing.

My most embarrassing was waiting to bat as a 15 year old for Kimberley against Wollaton, who had Auckland fast bowler Richard Morgan steaming in. My Grandma walked past just as I was walking out to bat and said loudly “Johnny, I’ve got your Easter Egg in the car”. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough in front of my senior team mates, I then proceeded to get smashed on the big toe first ball, plumb lbw. As I was limping off the field one of the opposition said “you’d better go and get your Easter egg, Johnny!”

Who was your childhood hero?

Stuart Pearce – Nottingham Forest captain and a hero to many in Nottingham. He played with passion and pride (from a cricket perspective I loved watching Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton bat)

Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?

Graham Gooch, Craig Alexander, and Jordan Pickford

Graham Gooch

Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?

Nasser Hussain

What was your favourite ground to play at?

Easy. Newdigate Street, Kimberley.

What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?

I always loved playing against West Indian Cavaliers. They were the best team in Nottinghamshire and set the standard for Premier League Cricket. If you could score runs, take wickets and more importantly, win against the Cav’s you had done well.

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Very hard to pick one. Various debut’s, league wins, personal performances etc… but at the moment if I had to pick one I would say my proudest moment is earning 1st Grade selection, aged 40, for Wynnum Manly.

Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club First Grade team 2020-21

What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?

Last game of the season in 1997. Kimberley versus Radcliffe, 1 v 2, winner takes all.

Brett Scothern and Neil Fenwick scored great 50’s against West Indian Pro, Barrington Browne to chase down a decent total.

If there was one match up, a bowler and batsman going head to head at their peak, who would you choose?

I was lucky enough to be at Trent Bridge in 1998 to witness the Donald v Atherton duel. If anything could beat that it would be good. I guess prime Shoaib Akhtar versus prime Robin Smith would be edge of the seat stuff.

Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?

Andre Adams to oversee the BBQ, Michael Innes to recall the memories and statistics and Richard Adams to provide the entertainment (but not be allowed near the music playlist!)

What are your hobbies?

Soccer coaching and running. I managed to do a few marathons and 70.3 Triathlons in the years I was not playing cricket. I think I’ll need to retire from cricket again before I can get that fit again.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Never eat yellow snow

Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?

I am still playing for Wynnum Manly although soccer commitments have delayed the start of my season. I’m happy to play in any grade that my form and experience can assist.

I’ll line up for the over 40’s next week and then take it from there.

Can we ask what state cricket associations need to have as their top 2 priorities to ensure cricket in their state and across Australia remain strong and successful on and off the field?

I am reluctant to have strong opinions on this as I have been away from English cricket for over 12 years so do not have an up to date take on how things are being run over there and on the flip side, I have only been around Brisbane Premier Cricket for 2 years so do not feel qualified to speak on any issues here.

What I do believe is if you are good enough you are old enough and or young enough. Strive for an environment where people earn their selection via strong performances not just because they tick boxes i.e. a good age, a good size, a good background etc…